Charges of sponsoring terrorism have surrounded Iran from the earliest days of the Islamic revolution (1979) to the present. The United States (US), along with the rest of the West have repeatedly stated that Iran is the principal state sponsor of terrorism, providing a wide array of weaponry funds, safe harbour and logistical support to Shi’ite and occasionally Sunni terrorist groups (this paper will solely focus on Hamas and Hezbollah). In some cases, it is also claimed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) directly perpetrate acts of terrorism (Stearns 2012). Essentially, among analysts and academics it is commonly argued that Iran utilises ‘terrorism’ to pursue its foreign policy objectives.

The African continent continues to face many complex challenges ranging from issues of governance, poor socioeconomic development within its borders to growing terror attacks from extremist groups. Given this context, Africa’s own insecurity is serving as a source of concern for not only the global community but also for African leaders. This growing concern is one of the contributing factors behind the phrase ‘African solutions to African problems’...

Thursday 30 March 2017 should be construed as a critical juncture in the history of a democratic South Africa. Regardless of the size or effect of an event or cause, critical junctures typically generate persistent paths of political development. As it is known by now, President Jacob Zuma made significant changes to the composition of the country’s executive leadership with the axing of five cabinet ministers. Notable in the cabinet reshuffle was the dismissal of the minister of finance Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas. The replacement of the minister of finance with home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba and the new deputy minister Sifiso Buthelezi triggered upheaval from many quarters of society.

The United States of America is undergoing a major multi-dimensional conjunctural transition, one affecting the politics of its domestic and foreign relations with global implications. As such, the role and future of Black America as a pivotal nation within the African Diaspora caught up in this transition deserves critical analysis in the wake of the election of 2016. This article was initially drafted in January 2016 and went unpublished. It was motivated by unease about the state of black political consciousness, focus and mobilizational sense of urgency in the election year that was unfolding.

Following reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which approximate the number of humans killed in violent conflict to 700,000 per annum, and a further hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes and exposed to degradable inhumane conditions from which they die, the material and human cost of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction or relapse prevention are alarmingly and disproportionately higher than conflict prevention.1 Put simply, conflicts strain and reverse economic growth at an average of 2.2% per annum and the cost of reconstruction is estimated to be between US $4 and $54 billion2 which is dwarfed by an estimated $1204 billion per annum for worldwide military spending.

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